The Paradox Engine

The touch on his shoulder was warm and soft, making Kang De unsure whether it was a phantom of the past.

He dared not confirm, afraid of shattering this beautiful dream. He simply gazed at the beautiful face so close to his eyes; she certainly did look different from A Xing.

Even though their eyebrows and eyes are similar, their temperaments are completely different.

A Xing is a blank sheet of paper, silly and innocent, with a sincere and pure smile.

The woman before me... is already an epic painting.

Hardships, setbacks, separations, and loss—she carried far too much on her shoulders.

He waited quietly, waiting for the other person to speak.

A moment later, he saw the other person tilt his head, and a hint of panic appeared in his calm and composed expression, which had been honed through arduous battles.

"It was truly... an absolutely unimaginable and wondrous experience, Kang De."

She sighed, then smiled beautifully, just like an ordinary girl.

Her tone became soft and gentle.

"I have never seen you before, I have never seen what you look like..."

Kang De's pupils contracted slightly.

The woman whispered, "You told me your name, and your voice accompanied me through my darkest and most desperate days. I once thought it was a phantom after madness, but you told me it was hope. Following your guidance and advice, we built the last city, so that we wouldn't die twisted like beasts, so that we could face the end with dignity and honor, and so that we could leave behind Spark of hope."

In that instant, Kang De remembered the story the Dragon Girl had told him.

Those three stories.

Empirical evidence of Space-Time Flashback recorded by the Dragon Clan in history.

An emperor who destroyed his kingdom, dwarves who triggered the invasion of hell, and... the last hope and Spark at the time of the collapse of the previous era, a guardian bearing the weight of light.

The dragon scholars suspected that the Space-Time Flashback heard by the Light Bearer were nothing more than hallucinations and obsessions born of madness. However, out of admiration for the courage and will shown by the weak ants in the face of extinction, the dragons were willing to accept its authenticity and accuracy with a beautiful and romantic sentiment, and to record it in history.

"And that's exactly what you said."

A silent crowd seen in Space-Time Flashback.

Warriors who will not hesitate to use mystical elemental overload and transform into monsters to perish with their enemies.

The last seven people who sacrificed themselves.

The scenes seen in the Space-Time Flashback seem to have provided the answers.

"We did a great job, everyone did a great job..."

The ancient Light Bearer had tears in their eyes, a sob in their voice, and a sense of relief.

"Now, our journey has come to an end."

I feel sad about this.

Because I can never do what you once did.

"You protect two prosperous and beautiful worlds. You tell me about your two homes, both with real beauty and ugliness, but equally worthy of your all-out effort to fight against an almost invincible enemy. I feel envious and regretful for this, because our era does not have you."

"We have given our all, our will, and our lives."

But the outcome was already predetermined.

"Now, I only have one last mission left."

She turned her head to look at the enormous sphere, a colossal object situated on a brass base, like a star about to illuminate the night. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"This is a seed about to sprout. I have left all the spiritual wealth we can preserve inside it; this is my mission."

"Make sure this thing eventually... returns to your hands."

--Back to.

Kang De was momentarily dazed.

In my field of vision, the woman's radiant smile was as beautiful as a flower.

"Kang De, you probably don't understand."

The iron-blooded leader and powerful warriors from the previous Space-Time Flashback were nowhere to be seen, their fierce and ruthless aura vanished, and she smiled gently, even with a hint of smug pride.

"Although I can't see your face, I can imagine the stupid look on your face as you listen to these words. We're even now..."

"I now return to you the kindness, the enlightenment, and most importantly, the hope you gave me."

The intense smile turned into a calm smile, a smile tinged with sadness and relief.

"You have no idea how much we paid to make this conversation possible—it was us, it was you and all of us."

"You once spoke to me across eras and time, just as I speak to you now. The power of Akatum sustains this time rift, and this mysterious world of machines and gears ensures the secrecy of this meeting, though I don't know where you borrowed this place from."

"But if you can hear what I'm saying now, it means you've succeeded."

At this point, the ancient Light Bearer fell silent for a moment, then whispered.

"You can hear me, can't you?"

There was a tremor in his voice, the last fear of this brave warrior.

Although he didn't fully understand the meaning of her words, Kang De's answer was without hesitation.

"Yes... I can hear your voice."

But such an answer would probably not reach the other person's ears.

"I guess you answered me, even though I can't hear the echo from the distant future, but I believe you have answered, because I believe in you, Kang De, you said you would succeed."

The woman who resembled A Xing smiled and said, "How amazing it is that your voice traveled through countless years and rang out in my most desperate moment, like a divine whisper and guidance. Then my voice also traveled to the future, to be heard by you in an earlier time. We did everything we could to build this perfect closed loop that is independent of time and avoids scrutiny, just to create an extra possibility."

"Possibilities beyond fate."

Kang De was deeply shaken.

A stream of light pierced through the chaotic and bewildered mind, dispelling the turbulent clouds.

Destiny.

Fate could not be changed after all—that voice still echoed in my ears.

"Era after era has passed, and no matter how powerful a race, how prosperous Civilization, when the end comes and the Veil falls, they can only await their demise. What an honor it is that we can participate in this great rebellion, becoming the story you tell. Before our demise, we did the best thing: to regain dignity, glory, and light, and to leave behind seeds of hope."

"Yes, I hope... My mission is to return these things that belong to you to you."

"Hope, guidance, courage."

"And it."

"And that... purple river."

The River of Origin.

Mysterious elements.

The devil's gift.

He once thought it was another arrangement by the Sound of Doomsday, following the Grewind Swarm.

An expression of disbelief appeared in Kang De's eyes.

"Tell me, and when I say its name, you'll understand."

The ancient revelation gazed upon that vast and magnificent sphere.

"... Paradox Engine."

She raised her hand, and a purple light floated and shimmered in her palm. It was the mysterious element that had plunged Kang De into doubt and nightmares, the Magic Creature he had once rejected and guarded against, but which he had ultimately accepted under pressure and madness, and then given up on himself.

"When you gave it to me, you called it... the Paradox Element."

Kang De was speechless for a moment.

Then his body began to tremble slowly, and he stared at the woman in front of him, speechless.

Kang De.

Her smile was beautiful and flawless, as if it were a mark etched into time and space.

"Destiny can be changed, and both today and those who sacrifice for today firmly believe this."

She slowly stretched out her hand, her palm slender and fair, like the bright moon.

"Come."

Her smile held a hint of shyness, which then transformed into a confident and poised demeanor.

"From my perspective, everything I did was foolish. I stood here in this empty, deserted place, talking to myself, and I even reached out my hand, trying to touch you."

"I know we are separated by countless years, and even in this magical realm we cannot truly meet. I have never seen your face, I can only sketch your image from your words. You whisper in my ear, and you have appeared in my dreams. I know it is you... but I still want to touch you."

"If you're listening, let me touch your face."

She paused, then smiled sheepishly. "Just pretending."

Kang De slowly stepped forward, getting closer. The other person's palm touched his cheek; the touch was warm and familiar. He subconsciously reached out and covered that hand with his own.

That was the real touch, the flesh and blood of the body.

His gaze suddenly sharpened.

The person standing so close stood silently, and although she would never receive a response from being touched, her expression was still full of anticipation and trepidation.

She waited quietly for a while, then nodded. "Okay, I'll assume you've already made your move. What does it feel like?"

"Without a beard, the skin might feel a bit rougher, weathered by time and years—a respectable man. Judging from your response to my wish, you are kind as well."

"Of course I knew this all along. There was no need to answer your description of your personality. You have endless things to say, you always offer the right advice, you have patience, optimism, and courage... I think that must not have been something you were born with. You must have experienced many stories to hone the strength that I admire. I have always hoped to become someone like you."

She spoke animatedly, then fell into a brief silence.

Then a smile returned to her face.

"Kang De," she smiled, "How wonderful it would be if we could actually meet."

--You've already seen me.

Although he wanted to say that, Kang De choked up for a moment.

From beginning to end, the woman Kang De was observing was merely talking to herself.

She is not A Xing.

A Xing is just a carefree, silly girl with no past.

She was the guardian who raised the banner at the end of the previous era, rebuilt morality, courage, and dignity in the despair of destruction, and fought to the last moment.

She never actually met Kang De in her lifetime.

"Kang De, I've always felt as if we've known each other for a long time."

"From your words, I can sense that you are controlling your emotions, and my questions are being evaded, but my intuition tells me that there must be a story behind this."

"I can no longer know the answer to the story, but I think that you, who are listening to my words now, may have more to offer. I don't know what kind of difficulties you are facing right now, and I am worried about them, but I am also full of hope, because the echo from the future that I hear itself means hope."

"You always say to have hope, and I have always acted accordingly."

"Our struggle and resistance have failed, our hopes have been dashed, but this is the outcome we were prepared for from the start. The last seed can still be entrusted to you. We all believe it was all worthwhile. Thus, our mission and our story can end. It is sad, but that's all. In the midst of a collapsing apocalypse, trying to maintain the survival of our race is an absurdly high expectation."

She blinked, and even smiled.

Because everyone fought hard and never let up for a moment, they all did their best.

So, it doesn't really matter anymore.

After a brief silence, she said softly, "You always said to hold onto hope. Now that even the greatest hope has turned into a shattered dream, in this empty world where only you and I exist, with responsibility laid down and mission accomplished, as the last survivor, I feel entitled to indulge in a daydream..."

"Hope? It's not illegal to say it."

The brave warrior closed his eyes, as if in prayer, but it was unclear to whom he was praying.

Then she opened her eyes and smiled.

"I hope that one day I can touch you, be in your world, meet you, even if it's just to look at you, even if I can't speak... Now everyone is gone, the world must have been destroyed, my only concern and longing is for you."

The woman maintained her outstretched arm, as if she firmly believed that, after countless years, the Revelation would arrive as promised, and after hearing her silly, inexplicable ramblings, he would still patiently stand there, his face lightly pressed against his palm, maintaining this false contact.

She laughed and said, "I'm assuming your cheek is still pressed against my palm."

Then she released her grip and opened her arms. In front of her was nothingness, but with the keen spatial and distance sense of a warrior, she determined where Kang De might be standing.

And then they hugged.

A warm touch enveloped his body, a softness both strange and familiar, with an enticing fragrance. No one knew this feeling better Kang De; every embrace from A Xing was just like this.

But now, what embraces him is another shadow from countless years ago.

In an instant, an indescribable power surged into her body, like a seed quietly taking root and sprouting. Sunlight swept away the confusion in her soul, and an indescribable yet real enlightenment dawned upon her. Just as she said, she was repaying the kindness, the revelation, the gift.

In this mysterious and independent dimension, there exists a closed loop of time independent of fate.

Kang De.

A voice came from across time and space.

"How wonderful it would be if we could actually meet."

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PS1: Hmph hmph hmph hmph!